Cleveland Bike Show 2020

[ohiorider]

Told Dusty I'd send a couple of pics from the Cleveland International Motorcycle Show.  Tom, my riding buddy, Mark, a great friend and neighbor, and I went this past Friday afternoon.  Not much Euro flavor to it ..... no BMW, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia ..... not even certain KTM was there.  So here's a handful of random pics for your Monday morning enjoyment.

[oldbike54]

 Any information about that lovely contraption with the wood bodywork ?

 Dusty

[Rusnak_322]

what a waste that show has turned out to be. and for the cost of parking and tickets, you can see just as many bikes at a multi-line dealership.

I used to really look forward to that show, I haven't gone in the last 2 years

[kingoffleece]

Best 3 things there this year were the BSA, the Norton, and the Honda Dream.  I did need a new helmet and tried everything-nothing tops ARAI for fit-for me.  Got it for a reasonable deal.  I'd buy local buy nobody carries them.

[tommy2cyl]

Wow, they actually had the rare, exotic Van Van 200!  Better snap one up because they are supposedly no longer available after model year 2019.  I have been told they are destined to be highly sought after collectable bikes, kinda like a Bimota.  Sure glad I got mine. 

[ohiorider]

Any information about that lovely contraption with the wood bodywork ?

 Dusty

Minimal info:
- 500cc ohv v twin
- 2 wheels in front
- single back wheel steers it
- looks like a boat builder may have constructed it
- two cables linked between steering bar and rear wheel

I had a question or so about the 1960 BSA Super Rocket.  I owned a 1962/1963 Spitfire Scrambler between 1965 and 1967.  I recall it had an oil line that appeared to supply oil to the rocker arm shafts.  Don't see oil line to top end on this one.  Did BSA lube the top end differently on the slightly older A10 engine?

Mine had a very small gear oil pump located inside the right engine side cover.  I think it may have supplied oil to the top end, and perhaps returned oil from the dry sump to the oil tank.  When it broke once, (metal splinter jammed the two gears) lots of engine rattling and oil tank got cold to the touch.  Am I right about this part of the oiling system?  The big ends and rods were roller, weren't they?  And not under pressure.

Lannis, if you're here, I know you know.

Bob

[guzziart]

what a waste that show has turned out to be. and for the cost of parking and tickets, you can see just as many bikes at a multi-line dealership.

I used to really look forward to that show, I haven't gone in the last 2 years

Ya, it was a little disappointing.  The show keeps getting smaller every year, less MC manufacturers, more cheap jewelry & lens cleaner vendors.  FWIW, this year if you were attending on Friday and bought your tickets on-line, a 2 for 1 admission was offered so, it helped offset the over cost of admission for my brother-in-law & I and parking $10.  The cost to rent space at the venue is probably what drives manufacturers away, it's expensive.  I don't know how the baubles and leather vendors do it.  I did see several of my riding acquaintances and interesting characters at the show so, I'll probably go again next year.

[ohiorider]

Ya, it was a little disappointing.  The show keeps getting smaller every year, less MC manufacturers, more cheap jewelry & lens cleaner vendors.  FWIW, this year if you were attending on Friday and bought your tickets on-line, a 2 for 1 admission was offered so, it helped offset the over cost of admission for my brother-in-law & I and parking $10.  The cost to rent space at the venue is probably what drives manufacturers away, it's expensive.  I don't know how the baubles and leather vendors do it.  I did see several of my riding acquaintances and interesting characters at the show so, I'll probably go again next year.

I keep going back, too.  More of a wintertime social occasion than an informative bike show.  Good running into you and your brother in law.

Bob

[Lannis]

I had a question or so about the 1960 BSA Super Rocket.  I owned a 1962/1963 Spitfire Scrambler between 1965 and 1967.  I recall it had an oil line that appeared to supply oil to the rocker arm shafts.  Don't see oil line to top end on this one.  Did BSA lube the top end differently on the slightly older A10 engine?

Mine had a very small gear oil pump located inside the right engine side cover.  I think it may have supplied oil to the top end, and perhaps returned oil from the dry sump to the oil tank.  When it broke once, (metal splinter jammed the two gears) lots of engine rattling and oil tank got cold to the touch.  Am I right about this part of the oiling system?  The big ends and rods were roller, weren't they?  And not under pressure.

Lannis, if you're here, I know you know.

Bob

Thanks for the vote of confidence ... I THINK I know what I know, but I don't know what I don't know.

Having said this about all that, the 650cc A10 main crank bearings were one roller and one (timing side) plain bushing.  The earlier A7 500cc machines had a ball bearing on the drive side, but BSA switched to rollers for the drive side later.    The big end rod bearings were plain shell bearings, and the small end a bronze bushing.   (We could only wish that they were rollers or needles!)   Obviously this system needed plenty of oil pressure.

The "very small gear oil pump" you mention is ALL the oil pump that the BSA twins ever had.   Oil flows from the tank to one set of gears in the pump, which pumps it around the engine and into the sump, where a bigger set of gears in the same pump picks it up and pumps it back to the oil tank.

On the early A7 500cc machines, there was no oil feed to the rockers - they were lubed by mist from the rest of the engine.   Mid-year 500cc machines had one oil line to the exhaust rocker, and later 500cc machines had two oil lines to the two rocker shafts.   These were fed by oil tapped off by a restrictor in the line from the sump to the oil tank.

All the A10 650cc machines (including the two you mention) had two oil feed lines to the rockers.   So maybe the bike with no oil lines actually had an early 500cc engine, or had been modified somehow ... ?  Hard to tell what might have happened over the last 60 or 70 years ....

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Lannis

[BillinPA]

I went on Saturday,  I agree with the comments, smaller missing some key players, more bullshit vendors.  But end of January,  yeah I'll likely go again next year!

[Lannis]

I went on Saturday,  I agree with the comments, smaller missing some key players, more bullshit vendors.  But end of January,  yeah I'll likely go again next year!

I've noticed that about a couple of the large swap meets.   It's fine having vendors selling general mechanic's tools, or old motor-related posters or collector oil cans, or other things gearhead related.   But these shows need to be careful about letting in vendors that look like they came from a village flea-market, selling cheap socks and shoes and junk that looks like it came from the dumpster behind the Ollie's store ... the meet will get a bad name!

Lannis

[ohiorider]

Thanks for the vote of confidence ... I THINK I know what I know, but I don't know what I don't know.

Having said this about all that, the 650cc A10 main crank bearings were one roller and one (timing side) plain bushing.  The earlier A7 500cc machines had a ball bearing on the drive side, but BSA switched to rollers for the drive side later.    The big end rod bearings were plain shell bearings, and the small end a bronze bushing.   (We could only wish that they were rollers or needles!)   Obviously this system needed plenty of oil pressure.

The "very small gear oil pump" you mention is ALL the oil pump that the BSA twins ever had.   Oil flows from the tank to one set of gears in the pump, which pumps it around the engine and into the sump, where a bigger set of gears in the same pump picks it up and pumps it back to the oil tank.

On the early A7 500cc machines, there was no oil feed to the rockers - they were lubed by mist from the rest of the engine.   Mid-year 500cc machines had one oil line to the exhaust rocker, and later 500cc machines had two oil lines to the two rocker shafts.   These were fed by oil tapped off by a restrictor in the line from the sump to the oil tank.

All the A10 650cc machines (including the two you mention) had two oil feed lines to the rockers.   So maybe the bike with no oil lines actually had an early 500cc engine, or had been modified somehow ... ?  Hard to tell what might have happened over the last 60 or 70 years ....

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Lannis

I knew you'd know!  Thanks!

Bob